Learning Sciences

(Graduate Certificate)

Graduate Certificate in the Learning Sciences as new forms of digital and online resources transform communication and social interaction, the learning sciences emphasize the design of effective learning and teaching environments. Learning sciences is a rapidly evolving field dedicated to the study of learning in many environments in which it occurs, and the use of that knowledge to design innovative learning products and experiences.

The Certificate in the Learning Sciences provides an advanced understanding of learning in formal and informal environments, integrating perspectives from instructional design and technology, educational psychology, and social foundations of education. Students who complete the Graduate Certificate in the Learning Sciences will have demonstrated requisite knowledge and skills necessary to conceptualize, design, deliver, and measure effective learning. The Graduate Certificate in the Learning Sciences is appropriate for advanced graduate students considering careers such as higher education faculty, research scientists, educational administrators, funding agency program directors, and policymakers.

Admission Requirements: To complete the Graduate Certificate in the Learning Sciences, students must be enrolled currently and in good standing in any graduate program at Virginia Tech. Students considering the Certificate should consult with faculty in one of the associated programs in the Department of Learning Sciences and Technologies to plan their study to be consistent with prior experience, career goals, and certificate requirements.

Certificate Requirements: Students must take at least twelve credit hours in the options listed below. All students are required to enroll in EDIT 5234, Introduction to the Learning Sciences. Students will then choose one elective, equal to a three-credit-hour course, from three of the other four categories listed below, Cognition, Design, Social Foundations, and Technology.The order of these courses, including EDIT 5234, make be taken at the discretion of the student after consulting with his or her advisor.